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Connections Homeschool Program has open enrollment for all students at this time. All students not enrolled in public school are encouraged to contact the Connections office at 714-8880 to learn about all of the educational benefits that Connections Homeschool Program can provide for children.

The BOOK IT! K-6 Program has begun and we are happy to be a part of it. Spend just 20 minutes each day focusing on raising a reader. Set a monthly reading goal and when that goal is met celebrate achievement by going to Pizza Hut and redeeming the BOOK IT! coupon for a personal pan pizza. Coupons are available at the Soldotna Connections office. Please call Lennie Yoter with any questions. More information may be found at http://bookitprogram.com/Parents/index.asp.

SCHOOL PICTURES will be Oct. 4th from 1:00 – 4:00 in the Borough Assembly Chambers located on the lower level of the Borough Building on Binkley Street. Retakes will be held Nov. 15th.

■ Oct. 3 is school pictures.

■ Oct. 17 is the end of the 1st Quarter.

■ Oct. 18-19, school will be closed for the ACSI Convention.

■ Oct. 25, there will be no school for 7 – 12th Grade for Parent Teacher conference.

■ Oct. 26, there will be no school for K – 12th Grade for Parent Teacher conference.

■ Nov. 9, school will be dismissed at noon in preparation for the Fall Banquet at 6 p.m.

■ Nov. 12 is picture retake day.

■ Nov. 21, school will be dismissed at noon for Thanksgiving Break, Nov. 22-23.

Make sure to check out Sycamore for important school information, especially if your student is involved in athletics. All practice information and anything pertaining to sports will be posted here. If you need assistance with accessing Sycamore, please do not hesitate to contact the office for assistance.

ORDER YOUR NEW CIA APPAREL NOW! Please see the order form sent home with your children. If your child doesn’t have a form, they are available at the office. We will only order apparel that has been paid for ahead of time! We have short sleeved t-shirts for $12, long sleeved t-shirts for $15 and hooded sweatshirts for $25. (And a free short sleeved t-shirt in size and color of your choice if you are the first one to call Jill at the office, and say you read this in the What’s Happening, 262-5101). They all come in a variety of fun colors! Show your school spirit by wearing your new CIA shirts! They also make great gifts for family members!

IDEA School news for Oct. 1,2012

IDEA is still accepting enrollment for the 2012-13 school year. Please visit our website at www.ideafamilies.org to sign up or call 260-7555 or come by our office in the Red Diamond Center on K-Beach Road.

IDEA families enjoyed an ecology and ecosystems walk with a naturalist from the Wynn Nature Center last week. This field trip was very popular so watch your email for the rest of the fall field trip offerings. Plan to attend the Fire Department’s Puppet Show presentation on Oct. 17 or 18th at the Soldotna Sports Center at 10:00am.

Juniors and Seniors who have not passed a portion of the High School Graduation qualifying Exam plan to attend testing on Oct. 2, 3, 4. Please contact our office for details about testing.

There will be a Carnival committee meeting, Oct. 5 at 9:30 a.m. in the parent room. Kaleidoscope Gear order forms are due back to the school on Oct. 8th. The Art Committee will be hosting an Ice Cream Social on Oct. 12 at 6:00 p.m. This night will also be the kickoff for the Original Artworks Fundraiser. The Art Committee is currently raising funds for an art piece. A Change Drive will be ongoing throughout the school year. Every time the change jar is filled, there will be an all school popcorn party. The PTA meets on Oct. 18th at 6:00 p.m. in the library.

If your child was on free or reduced lunches last year, Oct. 2nd is the end of the grace period for continuing that reduction. If you have not filed a new application for this school year, your child’s status will be changed to full pay.

Picture retake day has been moved to Oct. 11. There will be time at noon for sibling pictures. Order forms were sent home in the Folder and need to be returned to school with payment included. If you are unhappy with your original picture packet, send in the picture packet that needs to be replaced with your student by Oct. 11.

The APC meets on Oct. 25th at 6 p.m. in the school library.

Volunteer training is now available online on our school website at http://kaleidoscope.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us. This is a short PDF presentation followed by a quiz. Once this is completed you will receive an email from the office letting you know we have received it. Please make sure to complete your background check as well. That is done through the district website at http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us.

K-Beach Elementary is having a Caribou Community 5k walk/run on Oct. 6th, 2012. Check-In and late registration starts at 10:00am and official start of race is 11:00am. Please look for registration forms to come home with students. Registration is free and t-shirts will be available for sale with proceeds benefitting K-Beach Elementary. This event is sponsored by K-Beach PTA and K-Beach Elementary Wellness Committee. Everyone welcome!

■ PTA meeting on Oct. 8th at 2:45 in the library. Babysitting will be provided in the teacher’s lounge.

■ PTA fundraiser forms will be due on Oct. 10th.

■ Site Council meeting on Oct. 22nd at 3:00

The High School Qualifying Exam will be offered, and to juniors and seniors that are either new to the district or who have not yet passed the test.

Start rummaging through the closets and the garage now! The annual Sports Swap sponsored by the KCHS Cross-Country Ski Booster Club is Oct. 6th, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the KCHS auditorium commons, with item check-in Oct. 5, 3:00-7:30 p.m., and from 9-10 a.m. They take sports equipment of all sizes, shapes, and sorts!

Innisbrook Fundraiser orders need to be entered on the Innisbrook website by Oct. 5. If you need assistance with the ordering process please call the office at 283-8600.

All students that attended school on , Sept. 26 had their picture taken. It’s not too late to order your child’s pictures through Lifetouch at www.lifetouch.com <http://www.lifetouch.com> or call 1-800-789-4456. Our picture day I.D. is AK312052Y0.

■ Picture retakes are scheduled for Oct. 24.

■ There will be a PTA meeting on Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. in the Library.

■ Fire Safety Week is Oct. 8-11 here at Mountain View. The Kenai Fire Department will be here to visit classes and take students through the Fire Safety House.

“Good Morning… How’s everything going? Great to see you today!” As students move through the hallways of Nikiski Middle/High School, they are welcomed by a warm greeting from Mr. Vern Kornstad. Mr. Kornstad values the relationships that he has built over the last 32 years in the Kenai Peninsula School District and is the reason that many students excel at Nikiski Middle/High School and beyond. He attends to the needs of students in a masterful way and sincerely cares about them, their success, their individuality and their needs. Mr. Kornstad reminds us of the poem by John Walter Wayland, “The True Gentleman” that speaks to his high ideals and inspiring perspective. Congratulations to Mr. Kornstad for being the Nikiski MS/HS Crystal Apple award winner for the Month of Sept.

Our annual Innisbrook fundraiser is underway now through Oct. 8th.

There will be a site council meeting today, Oct. 1st at 3:45 pm in the staff lounge.

Tomorrow, Oct. 2nd we will have volunteer training for anyone who wishes to volunteer in our school. The training will take place in the library at 9:15 am. Refreshments will be served. In order to ensure that all students will be as safe as possible, the KPBSD requires volunteers to be screened each year. Anyone interested in being a school volunteer needs to complete an online form and agree to a background check, even if you volunteered last year. All information will be kept confidential. To complete the screening process, visit the KPBSD web page at : www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us <http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us> and follow the links.

■ Picture retakes will be held on Oct. 5th in the library.

Redoubt’s first Fun Fest is Oct. 18th. 3:30 to 5:00pm. Cost is $4.00 per student, this covers all activities. Extra money is needed for snacks. Permission slips are due by noon on . Please pick up students at their classrooms at the end of Fun Fest. Please be prompt.

PTA 2012/2013 School Year

President—Barb Belluomini

Vice President—Angela Massey

Secretary—Kari Hudson

Treasurer—Michelle Blackwell

Parents interested in joining the PTA may pick up a membership form at the school office.

n Oct. 1st is “Blue Shirt Day” wear a blue shirt to recognize World Day of Bullying Prevention.

New this Year, Morning Recess and Activities! Our front doors are unlocked at 8:15am, students that arrive to school before the bell rings now have several options.

■ Outside Recess at 8:30

■ Library—Quiet Reading and Board Games

■ Gym– Social time with friends

■ Homework in Ms. Farmer’s room thru

■ Homework in Mrs. Withrow’s room and

Redoubt Site Council

Site Council Elections will be held Oct. 8-12.

Intramural Basketball Begins Today! All students who wish to join must turn in the required sports forms before they can participate. Forms must be filled out for each sport. All forms can be picked up at the Front Office or found online on the Soldotna Middle School KPBSD Web Homepage http://soldotnamiddleschool.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/ > Spartan Sports > Required Sports Paperwork > Forms 1-4. Boys and Girls practice will alternate each week. Week one will begin with girls practice first from 2:30 – 4:00; Boys in supervised study hall from 2:30 – 4:00, practice to follow from 4:00 – 5:30. The fee for intramurals is $30. Please call SMS at 260-2500 with any questions!

Upcoming Oct. Events!

■ Oct. 15—Site Council Meeting - 3:30pm - SMS Library

■ Oct. 16—Band and Choir Concert - 7 pm - SMS Big Gym

■ Oct. 17—Picture Retakes

■ Oct. 18—Last Day of First Quarter

■ Oct. 18—Fortnightly - Afterschool - 3 to 5 pm

■ Oct. 19—No School for Students

Attention Parents! Have you activated your Power School account? If not, please contact the front office to request the information you need to view your student’s grades, attendance, fees, and lunch balance. This is an excellent way to monitor their progress throughout the school year!

Congratulations to Tirzah Fredrickson for improvement in handwriting. Congratulations to Madee Knowlton for going above and beyond in piano! Elora Kennedy is awarded the “Heavenly Voice” award for her progress in voice lessons. We are happy to welcome Abby Smola to our team of educators. Abby offers one on one consulting to high school students and their parents in preperation for college. She can assist with academic advising, assistance with college and scholarship applications, editing essays, and filling out FAFSA forms. Abby is heading up a special worshop for any senior who plans to apply for local scholarships during the 2012-13 school year. Once completed, the scholarship program may be “tweaked” and adapted for other scholarship opportunities; this is being offered Oct. 15th from 6-8 p.m. It is not too late to sign up for our Lewis and Clark Study starting Oct. 25th. We are offering a salmon education workshop that includes a dissiction and a field trip to Bear Creek for more learning!! We welcome everyone to come help us celebrate our one year anniversary Oct. 5th from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Look for more information on the web: http://www.thestudysoldotna.com/

Upcoming Dates to Remember:

■ Oct. 4 School Pictures (preschoolers not attending school may come at 12:20 p.m. to have their pictures taken)

■ Oct. 16 PTO Meeting, 4 p.m.

■ Oct. 19 Inservice Day, No school for students, end of first quarter

■ Oct. 22 Site Council Meeting, 4 p.m.

■ Oct. 31 Halloween (Trunk or Treat in the school parking lot from 5-8 p.m.)

■ Nov. 1-2 Parent Teacher Conferences (no school for students)

■ Nov. 8 Picture Retakes

Soldotna Elementary is celebrating Fall with several exciting activities.

On Oct. 3, we will celebrate National Custodian’s Day. If you see Miss Renee, Miss Mercedes, Mr. Ted, or Mr. Ron, please thank them for all their hard work and dedication to our school.

The PTA meeting will be on , Oct. 9th at 3:45p.m. in the library. Childcare is available and all are welcome to attend! Please come and hear about the great things our PTA does for Soldotna El!

No school for students on , Oct. 19th, teachers will be preparing report cards and working on school development goals.

Congratulations to Boden Wight, the winner of our box top drawing last week!

CNA students:

Any senior students interested in the CNA program must attend the mandatory meeting at Kenai Peninsula College on Oct. 3rd at 6:30pm in room 109 of the “Ward” building.

You must attend this meeting in order to be considered as an applicant for this program.

You must be 18 years of age by May 28th, 2013 to be eligible.

Mind a-Mazes 2012

Who: Open to any KPBSD student in grades 4-12

-Students work on a team of 3- 4 students with an Adult Coach

-Junior Division: grades 4 – 6

-Intermediate/Senior Division: grades 7 – 12

-Division is determined by the team member with the highest grade level

What: A KPBSD problem solving competition sponsored by Quest

-Long Term Problem - different every year – teams receive the problem several weeks before the competition and work to complete their solution to the problem up until the day of the event.

-Spontaneous Problem – a problem presented at the competition for teams to solve within a very short amount of time.

Where: Soldotna Middle School, 426 W. Redoubt Soldotna, Alaska

When: District Competition is Oct. 13, 2012

-3-4 teams per school will be invited to this District Wide competition. Therefore, individual schools will need to have an “in-school run-off” prior to this competition. These dates will vary by school.

Why: To promote problem solving and team work skills. To provide students with creative thinking opportunities. To have fun!

How: Get the Long Term problem and information from Quest Teacher

-Form a team, recruit an adult Coach and start solving the Long Term Problem!

-Make sure to check the *Mind a-Mazes Blog regularly for: 1. Updates on Problem Questions &Answers All teams are expected to be up to date on additional information, as all problem clarifications do apply to all teams; not just the team that asked the question! 2. Team Registration forms; competition deadlines and pertinent information. www.mindamazes.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us.

WorkKeys® tests are scheduled for Nov. 7th beginning at 7:50 a.m. in the auditorium.

All Juniors will take the WorkKeys® foundational assessments. Students will take three 55 minute online assessments in the areas of Reading, Math, and Locating Information. This Assessment is part of the Alaska Career Ready program, which is administered by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development and the Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development. The State Board adopted regulations requiring all Alaska public schools to administer the WorkKeys assessments to 11th grade students in the areas of Applied Math, Reading for Information, and Locating Information.

You can: Get your photo taken professionally, Take your own – high resolution- bring to us in JPEG (jpg) format on a CD or jump drive, Use your school I.D. photo

Formal Portrait:

- Not Landscape format, photo cannot be wider than it is tall. Outside pictures are okay. No weapons. No hats. Please email pictures to vickytachick@g.kpbsd.org.

The PSAT will be administered on Oct. 17th in the Auditorium at 7:50. To register, please bring $15.00 to Mrs. Marquardt in the front office.

Free training for high school students

KPBSD Career and Tech Department is offering free after school academies to train students in the welding, construction and the medical field.

Any high school student is able to participate in any of our academies. If a student successfully completes the 60 hour academy they will receive a ∏ practical art credit. Transportation may be provided if needed.

Upcoming Academies:

■ Construction at Skyview High School where students will be building a gazebo. Academy dates are Oct 9th-Dec 13th Tues & Thurs 3-6 p.m.

■ Construction at Ninilchik (Kenai Peninsula Fair Grounds) stude 4:45:19.5 nts will be learning how to make and fit cabinets in a kitchen and basic carpentry will be taught. Academy starts Oct 13th and will run on most Saturdays from 1-5pm.